• Ajay S Patel, Rachel Farquharson, Dawn Carroll, Andrew Moore, Ceri J Phillips, Rod S Taylor, and Jodie Barden.
• Abacus International, Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK. ajay.patel@abacusint.com
• Pain Pract. 2012 Sep 1;12(7):578-89.

BackgroundChronic pain (CP) poses a diverse and substantial burden for employees, employers, and society. The deleterious consequences of CP in the workplace are frequently underestimated.ObjectiveTo estimate the burden of CP in the European workplace.MethodsA systematic review following PRISMA statement guidelines was conducted to identify studies reporting work-related outcomes for people with CP. EMBASE, MEDLINE, EconLit, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to 18th August 2010.ResultsWe identified 91 observational studies. Few were specifically designed to investigate the association between CP, productivity, and employment. The focus for this review was studies clearly reporting outcomes relating to the burden of CP on employment status (n = 37), sickness absence (absenteeism, n = 47), and loss of productivity because of reduced ability at work (presenteeism, n = 8).ConclusionThe body of evidence identified from the systematic review indicates that CP has a substantial negative impact on work-related outcomes, supporting the importance of interventions to reduce the burden of CP. Well-designed prospective studies specifically assessing the direct consequences of CP on employment are needed to confirm these findings.© 2012 Abacus International. Pain Practice © 2012 World Institute of Pain.

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